Memories of Rain
by UndoubtedlyTheWine
Summary: He loved the rain, for it brought back happy memories. But he also hated the rain, for it brought back just memories, never to be repeated. Oneshot.


**Memories of Rain**

The weather was chillingly cold. Daya was just about to leave his office when the rain started to fall. He was grateful for having brought an umbrella because it was literally pouring and he didn't have his own car that day. He was hit by noisy honking of the cars as soon as he exited the office building. He could see kids and adults running helter skelter to save themselves from the downpour. He tried halting a taxicab but all of them turned him down. Daya could see a long queue of vehicles was beginning form on the street. He knew there was no point in waiting. So very reluctantly, he decided to walk home. It wasn't too far anyway but he hated to walk in the rain. The puddles, the muddy roads and the wet clothes felt like a mess. He couldn't understand why on earth people found rains romantic or fun.

Turning around the corner onto a much quieter street, he began to walk faster, angling his umbrella a little bit to save his clothes from getting wet.

The gale was strong. As Daya was struggling to hold his umbrella, he thought he saw someone. The rain had reduced the visibility. He walked a bit faster and now he saw her clearly. He was sure it was her. She was clearly not bothered by the rain. He could swear he saw her jumping in the small water puddles and twirl while walking when she thought no one was looking her way.

"Shreya!" Daya called but the pattering rain muffled his voice.

He walked faster in order to catch up with her. He was just a few steps behind her now and he heard her humming a song, unknown to him.

"Shreya!" he called again and this time she heard him. She stopped walking and turned around.

"Daya sir!" Shreya shouted over the pounding rain.

"Ye kya kar rahi ho tum? Pagal ho gayi kya? Itni tez baarish me bheeg kyu rahi ho?" Daya asked her.

"Wo actually na meri taxi raaste me hi band pad gayi. Aur doosri cab kahi mili nahi. Chhaata lana main bhool gayi" she said.

"Kisi bus stop ya ped ne neech ruk jana chahiye tha na tumhe. Bimar pad jaogi" said Daya.

"Kuch nahi hoga... aur waise bhi mujhe baarish me bheegna bohot accha lagta hai" said Shreya.

"Chhaate ke neeche aao jaldi" Daya said.

 _Her heart fluttered. He wanted to share an umbrella with her? Oh boy._

"Um, sir it's okay. Main already itni bhig chuki hu. Aur meri ek dost ka ghar yahi paas me hai. Main waha chali jaungi. Aap jayein. Waise bhi hum dono accomodate nahi ho payenge ek chhaate ke andar" she said timidly.

"Shreya behes mat karo please. Yaha aao jaldi" he said.

"Nahi sir aap-"

"Shreya ye kya bachpana hai?" Daya said looking angry.

"Par mujhe nahi aana-"

"Tum aise nahi maanogi" he said and pulled her under the umbrella with such force that she almost collided with his chest. She pulled back and glanced at him, feeling awkward while he mumbled a feeble apology.

As Shreya had rightly said, the umbrella wasn't big enough to cover them both, he had to hold her a bit closer against him to stop them both getting wet.

Shreya felt gooseflesh appear on her arms that had nothing to do with the cold.

They began to walk in silence each lost in their own thoughts, listening to the roar of thunder and pitter- patter of the rain on the pavement. An abrupt, loud shout jarred them out of their thoughts as two bikes deliberately swerved in their direction and sprayed them with muddy water. The two men seated on it catcalled and wolf -whistled at Shreya.

Daya was literally shaking in anger listening to their crude comments. "Aye! Ruk ja!" He called angrily as they raced ahead, laughing like manics. Daya had almost took off after them when Shreya stopped. "Sir, jane dijiye aap kyu itne pareshan ho rahe hai"

"Kaise baatein kar rahe the wo dono! Aaj toh main unki -"

"Sir unn logo me itni himmat nahi hai ki saamne aakar comment pass kare. Isliye aise bhag gaye dar ke mare." she said.

"Tum thik ho na?" he asked.

"Haan, main theek hu" she said smiling at him.

"Aapko purane songs sunna accha lagta hai?" Shreya asked after a few minutes to lighten the mood.

"H- ha thode bohot" said Daya. "Kyu?"

"Mujhe wo purana film song bohot pasand hai. Raj Kapoor aur Nargis wala? Pyar hua ikrar hua. Kitna romantic lagta hai wo gaana itne saalon baad bhi. Bombay me hi shoot kiya tha wo gaana" she said looking dreamy.

"Haan..." said Daya.

Shreya looked sideways at him. "Haan? Sirf haan? Ye reaction hai aapka?"

"Toh- toh aur kya kahu main?"

"Offo ab ye bhi aap mujhse hi puch rahe hai? Hadd ho gayi sir." said Shreya.

"Arre ab kya kiya maine?"said Daya.

"Sir aapse ek baat kahu? Please bura mat maniye" said Shreya.

"Haan bolo" said Daya.

"Aap jitna unromantic insan maine maine aaj tak apni zindagi me nahi dekha. Ek toh aapko baarish pasand nahi. Ek romantic gaane pe comment karni tak nahi aati aapko" she said.

Daya glared at her.

Shreya bit her tongue. "Bura maan gaye na aap? I am sorry sir. I am really sorry. Maine -"

"It's okay. Mujhe bura nahi laga." said Daya. He couldn't help smiling. "Ab main aisa hi hoon... kya karun ab? Waise iska ek solution hai" said Daya.

"Kya?"

"Mujhe tumhare saath thoda aur jyada waqt bitana chahiye... phir shayad main bhi tumhari tarah romantic ban jaunga" said Daya.

Shreya gave him a shy smile. "Aa - acthoo!" she sneezed before she could answer him.

"Tum jaroor bimar padne wali ho." Daya said.

"Nahi padungu main bimar. Abhi bhi waqt hai sir. Band kijiye wo chaata. Bohot maja aayega trust me. Aur waise bhi aap already itne bhig gaye hai"

"Hum aisa kuch bhi nahi karnewale. " said Daya.

Shreya was about to slap him with a snarky retort when the wind blew furiously at them and Daya staggered with its force. He stumbled backwards slightly and the umbrella turned inside out causing Shreya to let out a shriek.

"Aaggghh!" Daya used such brute force in an attempt to put the umbrella right, that it snapped. Shreya began to snigger uncontrollably.

"What the f-" Daya began to say but another strong gust of wind hit them and in a flash, the umbrella blew away.

"Oh no, no, no...!" Daya roared over the howling wind. The rain came down in buckets and the wind howled. Daya was soaked to the bone in less than a minute. Without wasting time, he took off after the umbrella.

Shreya was trying to catch up with him but she stopped shortly. She could control herself no longer. It was just too much. Daya looked like an absolute mad man, running after the umbrella and she couldn't help herself. She began to laugh.

Daya went chasing after the umbrella but every time he thought he was closer to it, the umbrella blew further away. And then he could see it no longer.

"Sir! Wapas aa jayein!" Shreya yelled, trying to catch her breath.

Daya swore loudly. He knew he was never going to get his hands on the umbrella. The wind was too strong. Blinking raindrops from his eyes, he ran back defeatedly towards Shreya who was laughing so hard now that she could barely breathe.

"Has kyu rahi ho tum?" he said angrily.

"Sor...rryy... s..sir" she hiccupped.

"Hume rukna padega! Kuch dikhai nahi de raha! Wo park hai saamne, chalo!" Daya said and taking hold her hand and pulled her behind him. They made their way under a huge tree inside a playpark.

Shreya was laughing so hard that tears flowed down her cheeks. Her face was buried in his arm. Watching her, Daya began to laugh too. He couldn't remember when was the last time he had laughed so much. It was like they had inhaled laughing gas.

"Tum pagal ho such me" he managed to speak, clutching a stitch in his chest.

They took one look at each other and dissolved into peals of laughter once more.

...

...

...

...

The laughter sounded faint and far away. _How long has it been?_ He wondered, as he glanced up at the dark storm clouds overhead. _How long since that day?_

A faint flash of lightning illuminated the sky. He walked through the streets towards his car, rain soaking his clothes. He had no umbrella today but he didn't bother running towards his car as he normally would have. He loved the rain now, for it brought back happy memories and took him back in time.

Rainy days like this often made him think of her. He wondered whether it was raining where she was right now. He wondered whether she too might be reminiscing their memories from the past. He wondered if she still loved the rain.

As Daya was about to open the door of his car, he heard the delighted shouts and squeals. On examining the source of noise, he saw that they were from a couple, trying to fix an umbrella, which had turned inside out due to the force of the wind. Daya got in the car, a sad smile playing on his lips. Oh how he hated the rain, for it brought back just memories, never to be repeated again.

 ***** THE END *****

 **A/N - I hope you guys enjoyed this OS. Drop in a review! Also, the second and last chapter of my two-shot "Who kissed me in the dark?" has been posted, in case you have missed it by any chance.**


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